How do you decide what's newsworthy

It’s a judgment call, and it’s made by the editors. There’s not really a science to it, but there are several factors involved: timeliness, location (the more the direct connection to the Manhattan area, the better), importance, reader interest, and what else is going on. Obviously the factors of “importance” and “reader interest” are judgment calls, and we get into discussions (and arguments) internally over those things. Also, “what else is going on” is a recognition of the fact that some things might be worth covering on a day when nothing else is happening, but on a day with a ton of news we might not be able to get to it. There are limitations to our space and our manpower.